‘Guest column’ Archives

Dear Friends and Neighbors:
Far be it from me to criticize people who want to start a new party to address concerns in our political system. As far as I am concerned, both major parties are too dependent on big money. They have both abandoned basic respect for others in their campaigning. They both have abandoned logic and reason in favor of emotional appeals. They both act as if they hate the other side. What I can’t understand is why the Tea Party should end up supporting the less
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By Mark Hillman
The debate over ballot measures 60, 61 and 101 has been anything but illuminating. According to the propaganda, voters should:
• Vote yes to punish government at all levels for more than $1 billion in higher taxes and fees enacted without a vote of the people by Gov. Ritter and statehouse Democrats.
• Or vote no because "The Ugly 3" will trigger a "voter-approved recession" and put thousands of people out of work.
Frankly, both of those arguments are overwrought.
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By Kathleen Rogers and Antonio Gonzalez
On September 17, 1787, a group of visionaries and leaders signed our Constitution. They were intent on creating a functioning government based on universal truths and extraordinary principles in an environment complicated by disparate regional economies and wildly divergent parochial interests. Back then, differing proposals for the shape of our government divided our country into two camps, but the necessity to address the need for a common defense and
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Dear Friends and Neighbors:
Linda Petrie Bunch’s granddaughter, Mila, and my granddaughter, Aubrielle, star in the below video. Aubrielle is on the left in the striped dress, and Mila is on the right. As you can see, we have shamelessly exploited these children for political purposes. Please let me know what you think. Don’t forget to come back and read the rest of this email when you are done. Please forward the video around. I think it might catch
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Dear Friends and Neighbors:
I woke up this morning with a hypothetical conversation between me and a voter going through my head.
Gordon: You know the people elect the University of Colorado Regents. I’m thinking it might be better if they are appointed by the Governor.
Voter: No. Why would I want to give up my right to elect the Regents?
Gordon: Okay, tell me one fact about either of the two candidates for CU Regent at-large.
Voter: A fact?
Gordon: Yeah a fact, any fact, like their name,
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Editorial September 20, 2010
The Brothers Koch and AB 32
Four years ago, bipartisan majorities in the California Legislature approved a landmark clean energy bill ... Now a well-financed coalition of right-wing ideologues, out-of-state oil and gas companies and climate-change skeptics is seeking to effectively kill that law ....

The Supreme Court's ruling to strike down limits on corporate campaign spending fuels a surge in election money
Dear Friends and Neighbors:
From Ken Gordon
Those are the September 9 Bloomberg Business Week headlines.
The case that they are referring to is Citizens United v. the Federal Election Commission, which says that corporations and unions have free speech rights.
And since the Supreme Court in an earlier decision, Buckley v. Valeo, said that money is speech, we now, courtesy of five
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By Sarah van Gelder
For the American Forum
Americans are facing a troubling reality. The economic recovery they were promised has not materialized. There’s growing talk about a “new normal”—a new way of life to take us through a long period of failed recoveries.
There are, indeed, good reasons to believe we won’t go back to the old ways. But this new normal doesn’t have to be a time of chaos and decline. Instead, many Americans are building stronger families and communities,
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STATE TREASURER CARY KENNEDY ANNOUNCES WEBSITE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Denver: Colorado State Treasurer Cary Kennedy today announced that Colorado Tax Tracks, a new feature on her state treasury website, has received an award for excellence. The Digital Government Achievement Awards, given by e.Republic’s Center for Digital Government, cited Colorado Tax Tracks as a winner in its Government-to-Citizen State Government category.
“Since I took office, our focus has been on making Colorado’s
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Dear Neighbor, Who is behind the Bad 3?
They are trying very hard to make sure you don't know. And they're trying very hard to make sure you don’t know what damage 60, 61, and 101 would do to Colorado.
Reporting this week in the Denver Post opened a window on the backers of these intentionally misleading, job killing measures as they attack the process of creating the "Blue Book," the state-prepeared voter guide. The only backer of these initiatives who will speak refuses to do so publicly.
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